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Get a WhatsApp conversation

GET
/v1/whatsapp/conversations/{conversation_id}
const conversation = await bird.whatsapp.conversations.get("wacv_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg");
console.log(conversation.control, conversation.assigned_to, conversation.labels);
Response200
{
  "id": "wacv_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "business_phone_number": "+15550001234",
  "recipient": {
    "bsuid": "US.13491208655302741918",
    "phone_number": "+15550001111",
    "display_name": "Jamie Rivera",
    "username": "jamierivera"
  },
  "inbox_status": "open",
  "control": "bird",
  "assigned_to": "usr_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
  "service_window": {
    "status": "open",
    "ends_at": "2026-09-23T10:35:00Z"
  },
  "last_message": {
    "id": "wam_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg",
    "direction": "outbound"
  },
  "labels": [
    "billing",
    "vip"
  ]
}

Returns one conversation's current state: who answers it right now, when its customer-service window closes, how many messages are unread, its labels, and its most recent message.

Resolving inbox work preserves the conversation. New inbound messages reopen it with the same ID. Messages are retained for 30 days. When the last one expires, the conversation and its events are deleted, and this returns 404.

Parameters

conversation_idstring

Conversation identifier. Starts with wacv_.

Response Payload

id
string
required

Conversation ID.

business_phone_number
nullable string
required

Your WhatsApp business phone number this conversation runs on, in E.164 format. It stays the same when you remove the number and connect it again. Null when Bird holds no phone number for it.

recipient
object
required

The other side of the conversation: the contact, or the group it takes place in. A group conversation carries group_id and null contact identity fields.

Show child attributes
inbox_status
string
required

Whether the conversation needs attention in the workspace inbox. Set it to resolved when the work is finished. A new inbound message reopens the same conversation. Changing inbox status preserves message history and does not change the channel's permission to send messages or mark messages read.

Possible values: open, resolved

control
string
required

Who answers this conversation right now. You take and release control in the dashboard inbox.

Possible values (may grow over time): bird, meta_business_agent

assigned_to
nullable string
required

The user this conversation is assigned to. Null when unassigned. Assignment is not rechecked against workspace membership on read, so it can still name a user whose access was removed.

service_window
nullable object
required

Customer-service window for a contact. Null for group conversations.

Show child attributes
service_window.status
string
required

Whether the customer-service window is open right now.

  • open: the contact wrote within the last 24 hours, so free-form messages are accepted.
  • closed: the window has passed, or the contact has never written, so only a template can be sent.

Possible values: open, closed

service_window.ends_at
nullable string
required

When the window closes, or closed. Null when no inbound message has been recorded, in which case status is closed.

last_message
nullable object
required

A pointer to the most recent message in this conversation. It names the message; read its content through the conversation's message list. Null when the conversation has no message yet.

Show child attributes
unread_count
integer
required

Number of inbound messages the workspace has not acknowledged. Shared across the workspace. Sending a reply does not mark messages read.

labels
array of string
required

Workspace labels on this conversation. Labels do not change read state or inbox status.

created_at
string
required

When Bird opened this conversation.

updated_at
string
required

When this conversation last changed.

Related resources

Continue with the documentation, guides and examples for this topic.

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